Time-loss injuries, which are ones that keep athletes from practicing, are reaching as many as 25,000 in Oklahoma annually, University of Tulsa Clinical Assistant Professor of Athletic Training Ron Walker estimated.

Walker also told the Oklahoma House of Representatives Insurance Committee that 62 percent of injuries take place during practice.

But the biggest concern falls to the rural schools, where they often lack athletic trainers.

“What I took away from the study was that it is in rural Oklahoma where we have t he greatest challenge,” Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa, said in a release. “We talked about the need for and use of athletic trainers in high schools and many of the larger school districts have athletic trainers.

“What we need is solutions for smaller school districts in the form of shared athletic trainers or at least policies in place to help guide the athletic programs in addressing sports injuries.”

Kirby also said athletic trainers were employed in nearly 65 percent of schools across the nation, but only 20 percent in Oklahoma.

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by Jacob Unruh

Reporter

Jacob Unruh is a graduate of Northeastern State University. He was born in Cherokee and raised near Vera where he attended Caney Valley High School.During his tenure at NSU, Unruh wrote for The Northeastern (NSU's student newspaper), the...